Recording attachment for pianos.



G. N. GOODRICH.

RECORDING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED BEPT. 30, 191'2.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

INVENTOR ,1 ATTORNEY WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPK CO.,WASHXNGTON, D41

GEORGE N. GOODRICH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

RECORDING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application filed September 30, 1912. Serial No. 723,008.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE N. Gooomon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Recording Attachments for Pianos,and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for producing indications on paper,that is to be perforated and used as a pattern, musical compositionsthat are being played upon a piano or other instrument. It is a recording attachment for pianos that mechanically and accurately transfers theselection being played upon the pattern from which the perforated rollsare cut.

It has for its object, mechanism that performs three important ofiices;first, with each stroke of the key, the printer is brought into contactwith the sheet; second, provision is made to indicate the operation ofthe loud pedal in connection with the key struck; third, a device isprovided for temporarily lifting the printer to indicate on the sheetthat a given key is being struck two or more times while the loud pedalis on.

In the drawings: Figure 1, is a diagrammatical view of the apparatus inthe position of rest. Fig. 2, is a diagrammatical View of the apparatusin operation. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the ribbon, show ing theextended note-marks and also the interruptions in the extendednote-marks.

A, is a portion of a piano or organ key below which is located a plunger1 that reciprocates vertically in the guides 2 and 3. A coil spring 4ordinarily keeps the plunger in its uppermost position by reason ofthrusting upward from the guide 3 against the collar 5 of the plunger 1.This plunger carries a contact 6 which is positioned with respect to theterminal 7 so as to rub that member at a given point in the descent ofthe plunger. This terminal 7 comprises a spring strip that is connectedright-angularly with the bar 8 so as to form, in the whole, a bell-cranklever that is pivoted at 9. The bracket 10, which serves as a supportfor the pivoting 9, is metallic and is part of the circuit that istraced from the guide 3 through the plunger 1, the contact 6, theterminal 7, and pivoting 9. This circuit continues through the wire 11to the interrupter bar 12, that is pivoted at 13, thence through theinterrupter-bar terminal 14 to the stationary terminal 15, through thewire 16, the wire 17 to the contact 18. From the contact 18 the circuitcontinues through the loudpedal lever 19, that is pivoted at 20, throughbracket 21, the wire 22,'the battery S, the wire 23 to the coil 24 aboutthe core 25. From the coil 24, the circuit leads back by the wire 26 tothe guide 3 and is complete. It is, therefore, observable that, when thekey A is depressed, the contact 6 rubs with the terminal 7 after the keyhas been depressed some distance and completes the circuit alreadytraced, thereby allowing a current to go through and energize the core25. This attracts the armature 27 that is carried on the printerlever28. This printer-lever is pivoted at 29 and ordinarily held out ofcontact with the master-strip P by the spring 30, but when the armature27 is attracted to the core 25, the printer-roll 31 is forced down incontact with the masterstrip P that is passing across the printing blockB. The master-strip P is pulled across this block at a uniform speed bythe roll R which is driven by a belt X. Devices for assuring a uniformdraft upon the strip P regardless of the amount wound upon the roll maybe provided, but as such are known and this is no part of my invention Ihave not illustrated nor described one. As the strip is drawn across theblock B and is contacted by the roll 31, a mark is left on the aperwhich may be later converted into a slot by cutting and the master stripused as a pattern by which to cut the perforated sheets to be used on apiano playing machine. The marks printed on the masterstrip will, whenthe same are transferred to the perforated sheets and run through apiano playing machine, cause exact reproductions of the musical notesfirst played on the piano, organ or other musical instru ment] 1 5 f 5When the'loud pedal is on, the sound of the note is extended through alonger time, and it is desirable that this prolongation be also recordedupon the sheet P. It is one of the features of my invention that mechanism to accurately secure such recording by extending the note-mark'isaiforded. The

extended note-marks are ShOWI1i&t ;60 in Fig. T

3. The mechanism to accomplish this comprises a shunt circuit 32 thatleads from the wire 16 to the wire. 22, passing as a coil about the core33. When this core 33 is energizedit attracts the armature34 on thebell-crank lever 7-8. Ordinarily this lever is held in the positionshown in Fig. l by the spiral spring35. In this position-of Fig. 1,itwill be seenthat the contact 6 does not engage with. the terminal 7until the plunger 1 has traveled some distance and disengages from thisterminal 7 at an early stage in the return travel. However, when thearmature 34: is attracted by the core 33, the bell-crank lever Z 8assumes the position shown in Fig. 2. Theterminal 7 being a spring barthe contact 5' will have a rubbing engagement ,with this; terminal forthe entire return stroke, thus..re sulting in .the extension of the,sound; of the ,note being reproduced .on the sheet,P by length: eningthe note -ma kls until the. loud. pedal is released or. until samehey-,is.tapped again as .will, be ,explaine f P ra raph The shunt fcircui t32.,is1brQught int0 op,- t n his h ul pme be. h l 'udi p d .is=h.i u h.uP e-Ji sBY endzb the connectionQbetween theloud pedallever 19 and. thecontact Fig. 2.). The circuit can now. betracedthrough the terminal 7,pivoting 9, bracket l ),.wire 11, piv oting l3, interrupter; bar 12terminal 14, terminal 15, wire 16,,shunt 32, wire 22, battery S, .wire23, coil 24,.wire 26, guide 3, plunger land contact 6. Very often,however, while the loud pedal is on, it is desired to tap the same keytwo or more times. This could not be done and make a showing upon thepaper were it not: that I havepro vided a special interrupter mechanismto cooperate with the apparatus described, so as to make possible therecording of two or more taps of the same key while the loud pedal ison. This recording is accomplished by dividing the notemarks, see 61,Fig. 3. The mechanism to accomplish this comprises a pawl 38 that ispivoted to the plunger 1 and which tends to thrust outward by reason ofthe coil spring 39. This thrust outward is counteracted by the pin 40 sothat the pawl is guided in a given path and will release the bar 12whenrthe shoulder 41 on the pawl has traveled a very short dislance. Thedescent of the pawl with the plunger temporarily raises the interrupterbar against the pull of the spring 12 (dotted lines of Fig. 2) andseparates the terminals 14: and 15, temporarily breaking the circuitthrough the interrupter bar and the Wirekeep the loud pedal member inengagement with the contact 18 when the players foot is not upon thepedal 36.

I The apparatus which I have described is (except for a few :of the highkeys) to be repeated for each key, except that, perhaps, some of itwould not have to be repeated when the entire number of reproducers areassembled into a complete apparatus for all the keys, as for instance,the battery S and the loud pedal 36 and the contact 18: and lever 19could be made part of a return line common to all the circuits. Thereproducer could. be used, of course, with pianos, organs, and othermusical instruments and. I do not wish to be understoodaslimiting'myself to any specified type of musical instrument oranynamed vautomatic. 'player of musical compositions.

- what liclaimfisz 1, The combination with a musical instrument,provided with keys and loud pedal, of a recording attachment comprisingmeans for producing marks on the sheet of the roll upon the depressionof the key, the said means including a printing memher and meansoperated by the loud pedal for keeping the printing member in contactwith the sheet after the key is released, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a musical instrument, provided with keys and aloud pedal, of a recording attachment comprising means for producingmarks on the sheet of the roll upon the depression of the key, saidmeans including a printing member, means operated by the loud pedal forkeeping the printing member in contact with the sheet after the key isreleased and meansfor temporarily lifting the printing member off thesheet of the roll when the key is tapped two or more times while theloud pedal is on, substantially as described.

3. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plungeradapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal arranged to make anelectrical connection with the plunger when the same has traveled somedistance, a circuit closed by said electrical connection, a markerbrought into operation by the closing of said circuit, and meansoperated by the loud pedal by which the position of the terminal ischanged so as to hold the terminal in electrical connection with theplunger upon the return stroke of the plunger until the loud pedal isreleased, substantially as described.

4. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination a plungeractuated by the key, a terminal arranged to form an electricalconnection with the plunger when the same has traveled a given distance,an armature connected .with said terminal, magnetic means for attractingsaid armature to change the position of the terminal with respect to theplunger so that an electrical connection is maintained during the entirereturn stroke of the plunger, a circuit closed by the electricalconnection between the terminal and the plunger, a marker thrown intooperation by the closure of said circuit, a shunt circuit for energizingthe magnetic means, and means connected with the loud pedal for throwinthe full current through the shunt circuit %or the purpose of changingposition of the terminal, substantially as described.

5. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plungeradapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal located to be contacted bythe plunger when the same has traveled a given distance, a circuitcompleted by such contact, a marker put into operation by the completionof said circuit, a shunt circuit including magnetic means for changingthe position of the terminal so that it remains in contact with theplunger during the entire return stroke and means connected with theloud pedal for throwing the full current through the shunt circuit,substantially as described.

6. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plungeradapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal adapted to be contacted bythe plunger when it has traveled a given distance, a circuit closed bythe contact of plunger and terminal, a marker put into operation by theclosure of said circuit, means for changing the position of the terminalso that it remains in contact with the plunger during the entire returnstroke and means for initially interrupting said circuit each time thekey is depressed, but before the plunger contacts the terminal if themeans for changing the position of the terminal is not in operation,substantially as described.

7. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plungeradapted to be actuated by the key, a terminal arranged to be contactedby the plunger when the same has traveled a given distance, a circuitclosed bysaid contact, a printer put into operation by suchclosure-niithe circuit, means for changing the position of the terminalso that the circuit remains closed during the entire return stroke ofthe plunger, the said circuit containing an interrupter device and apawl or trip on the plunger for operating the interrupter device,substantially as described.

8. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plungeradapted to be actuated by the key, means for completing a circuit uponthe travel of the key a given distance, the said circuit, a marker,means for throwing the marker into operation upon the completion of thecircuit and means operated by the loud pedal for prolonging the closureof the circuit upon the return stroke of the said plunger, substantiallyas described.

9. The combination with a musical instrument, provided with a loudpedal, of a recording attachment comprising a plunger adapted to beactuated by the key, a circuit completed by the travelof the plunger agiven distance, a marker thrown into operation by the completion of saidcircuit, means for prolonging the closure of said circuit upon thereturn stroke of the lunger, and interrupter means operable w en theloud pedal is on for temporarily interrupting the said circuit toindicate separate taps on the same key, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a musical instrument, provided with a. loudpedal, of a recording attachment comprising a plunger adapted to beactuated by the key, a circuit closed by the plunger when the same hastraveled a given distance, a marker thrown into operation by the closureof the circuit, and means for prolonging the closure of the circuit uponthe return-stroke of the plunger, comprising a terminal, an armatureconnected therewith, a magnetic coil for attracting the armature andchang ing the position of the terminal with respect to the plunger, ashunt circuit including said coil and connected with said firstmentioned circuit, and a make-and-break device, for breaking the saidcircuit when the loud pedal is depressed and thereby throwing the fullcurrent throu h the shunt circuit, substantially as described.

11. A recording attachment for a piano, having in combination, a plungeradapted to be actuated by the key, a circuit completed by the travel ofthe plunger a given distance, a marker thrown into operation by theclosure of said circuit, means for prolonging the closure of the circuitupon the return stroke of the plunger, and interrupter mechanism fortemporarily interrupting the circuit to show separate taps upon the downstroke of the plunger, substantially key when the means for prolongingthe 010- as described. 0 sure of the circuit is on, said interrupter Intestimony whereof, I sign this specifimechanism comprising a pair ofterminals, cation in the presence of two witnesses.

an interrupter bar included in said first GEORGE N. GOODRICH. mentionedcircuit, and a spring-operated \Vitnesses:

pawl on said plunger adapted. to tempo- STUART C. BARNES,

rarily trip the interrupterv bar upon the VIRGINIA C. SPROTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patenta, Washington, D. C."

